Algonquin Books Blog

Most cat lovers admit to having complicated feline friends. By “complicated,” I mean that your favorite pet manages to rearrange your life to run around his precise schedule (most active at 2 am), his particular eating habits (we won’t discuss those here), his way of being held or handled, or even how he’s spoken to. And he’s probably just one in a long line of cats you’ve let take over your household.

As any cat owner can tell you, unlike the loyal, often obedient, and companionate dog, cats are quixotic, aloof, and often outright contrary. So what is it about these animals that we willingly let them run ramshackle over our lives and our schedules, not to mention shred our furniture, and force us into the role of mind-readers? This is the question that Bob Tarte answers in Kitty Cornered, as he explains how it is that his already-overrun household went from one recalcitrant cat to six.

With the same winning humor that made his last book, Enslaved by Ducks, such an appealing story, Bob takes us into the lives of Agnes, Frannie, Lucy, Maynard, Moobie, and Tina; and how they all transformed his own life, showing him that there was a “funnel of happiness” that might be accessible even to a lowly human such as Bob.

PS – Be sure to check back on the blog on 4/20 for a special cat feature!

Praise for Kitty Cornered:

“There s not a page that won’t be nepetalactone catnip to feline fanciers including some concluding philosophy on what a cat’s natural mental state is- “innate sense of wonder and joy.” Better than a big ball of string rolled in tuna.” – Denver Post

“[Tarte’s] journalistic objectivity and self-deprecating introspection lend heartwarming humor to this account of cat-inspired chaos . . . Particularly moving is the author’s self-assessment of his dynamic relation with his cats, as he depicts each with the care typically reserved for a beloved . . . A funny, pleasing read for cat lovers of any age.”—Kirkus Reviews

“As he endearingly portrays each cat’s distinctive personality, recalls its heart-wrenching history, and recounts episodes of reality-TV-worthy feline shenanigans, Tarte also realistically conveys the challenges of integrating each new animal into an already overwhelmed household. Delivered with infectious whimsy, considerable self-deprecation, and admirable patience, Tarte’s empathetic chronicle recalls the anxious episodes that helped put any moments of relative tranquility into hard-won perspective. Any human who has shared a life with one animal, let alone many, will immediately recognize the infinite joy and inherent frustration found in such a communal enterprise.”—Booklist

“Bob Tarte is the kind of writer who makes you wish that he lived right next-door…. Not just for cat-lovers, this book is for anyone who has ever fallen in love with an unlikely animal, for anyone who can’t look the other way when an animal is in need. Kitty Corned is laugh out loud funny, but it’s also profound.” —Elizabeth Letts, author of The Eighty-Dollar Champion